Reel structure for extension cords



E- G- K. ANDERSUN.

REEL STRUCTURE FOR EXTENSION corms.

APPLICATION FILED AUG, 14. 1919- I 1,43LQS3, Patentei Oct. 3,1922, 2megs-414ml.

zdaah/ E. G.- K. ANDERSON. REELSTRUCTURE FDR EXTENSION CORDS.'APPucAfloN FILED AUG. I4. 1919. 1,431,083, Patented Oct. 3, 1922 ZSHEETSSHEET 2.

Patented Unto 3, 1922 UfilTiiii STATES 1,431,033 arent or ERNST G. K.ANDERSON, OF C HICAGG, ILLINGIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0APPLETON ELECTRIC 00., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

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Application filed August 14, 1919. Serial No. 317,398.

To (CZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Eritrea G. K. ANDER- soN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Chicago, inthe county of Cook and Eitate ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ReelStructures for Extension Cords; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in spring rewinding reels forcords, cables, and the like, of that type having locking means to lockthe reel after a desired length of cord has been unwound therefrom, thelocking means being constructed to be released by sharp pull of the cordwhich sets in motion the rewinding mechanism to rewind the cord on thereel. 1

Among the objects of the invention is to provide an exceedingly simpleand economical rewinding reel in which the rewinding springs arearranged to produce a substan 'tially sustained rewinding pull on thecord or cable, regardless of the length of the cord unwound from thereel, to provide a construction which is compact relatively to its cordreceiving capacity, to provide a construction in which the principalelements may be made of simple stamped metal parts and which may bereadily assembled by unskilled labor and parts of which may be fastenedtogether without the use of separate fastening means, as rivets, tootherwise improve and simplify rewinding reels of this generalcharacter; y

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of the partsshown in the drawings and described in the specification and is pointedout in the appended claims.

In said drawings, i Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rewinding reelembodying my invention,

Figure 2 is an end view thereof. Figure 3 is an enlarged axial sectionof the reel drum and the actuating springs and associated mechanism.

Figures 4 and 5 are detailsections on lines t-et and 55, respectively,of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a detail section on the line 6-6 of Figure 2. 1

Figures 7 and 8 plural-part winding drum.

are detail views of th As shown in said drawings, 10 designates as awhole the reel spool on whicha cable or cord 11 is adapted to be wound;12, 12 designate the cord confining flanges ofthe spool.

13, 13 designate the rewinding springs which are'placed under tension asthe cord is reeled off the spool and which by expansion rotate the spoolto wind the cord thereon, and 1 1 designates a fixed shaft about whichthe reel rotates.

The said reel is made of a plurality of members 15, and preferably twoas herein shown. (See Figures 7 and 8.) It is convenient and practicableto make the two spool members 15 of sheet metal and of identicl shapeand size so as to produce them by the operation of a single set of dies.Each spool part is formed with an exterior concave bay so arranged thatwhen the spool parts are assembled'an annular support for the cord isformed which isconcave in longitudinal section. The said spool parts areprovided at their ends with endwise extended lugs 16, two adjacent lugsat each end thereof and at diametrically opposed sides ofthe axis of thespool being mating lugs.

The springs 13,13 are enclosed in spring barrels 17, located one at eachend of the spool. Each barrel comprises a cylindric wall 18 concentricto the axis of the shaft 14: and an end wall 19 transverseto said axis.Preferably and as herein shown, the limiting flanges 12 of the spoolform integral parts of the cylindric walls 18 of the spring barrels. Thebarrel 17 which containsa spring 13 is closed at its inner end by aspring retaining plate or disc 20 which is fittedover the cylindricportion of the shaft 1a and is provided with a marginal, outwardlyturned cylindric flange 21 which fits and turns within the cylindric rim18 of the barrel and is adapted to be fixedly secured to one end of thespring 13 by a rivet'or like fastening device 21'.' The other or innerend of said spring is fixed, as by means of a pin 22, to the shaft 14.The barrel 17 which contains the spring 13 is closed at its inner end bya circular spring retaining plate or disc 23 which fits atits marginsbetween the associated outstanding limiting flange 12 and, the end ofthe spool. One end of said spring 13 is fixed, as by means of a rivet24, to the annular rim 18 of the associated barrel 17, and the other orinner end of the spring is fixed, as by means of apin 25 (Fig. 5), to

the adjacent end of a sleeve 26 that is loosely mounted on the shaft 14;the other end of said sleeve being soldered or otherwise rigidly fixedto the spring retaining disc 20.

As herein shown, the parts of the reel structure thus far describedareheld in assembled relation by providing the cord limiting flanges 12with angularly spaced openings 26 through which are adapted to extendthe lugs 16 on the multi-part spool; the said lugs being clinched downover the outer faces of the limiting flanges 12.

Fitted to the outer ends 19 of the spring barrels are cups 27 which, asbest shown in Figures 2 and 4, are held in place by means of lugs 28that are formed integral with and extend laterally from the end walls ofthe barrels and extend beyond the flanges 29 of said cups and areclinched over insulating discs 41 that externally overlie said cups, asshown in Figures 3 and 4, for a purpose hereafter described. Containedin the space enclosed by one of said cups are a plurality of dogs 30.(Figures 8 and 4) which are pivoted at their, ends to studs 31 that arestruck up from. the end wall of the spring barrel. Said dogs areprovided at their other ends with teeth 82 that are adapted to engage.in recesses 33 which are formed on the periphery of a disc 84 that isfitted non-rotatively to the adjacent end of the shaft 14. As hereinshown and preferably, said latter end of the shaft is flattened orsquared at and the a collar 34 is provided with a like-shaped opening tofit therein to hold the collar fixed on the shaft. The teeth of saiddogs drop into the recesses of thecollar to hold the reel fromrewind-ing in a known manner but may be dislodged by a slight pull onthe cord to release the dogs to permit the rewinding of the cord on thespool. i

The said reel may be supported in any suitable manner, as by means ofarms 36, 37 which may be either depending, as hangers, or upstanding, asshown. One of the supports is interlocked to the squared orflattened endof the shaft to hold the said shaft from'turning with respect to saidsupports,

,butthe spring barrels, the spool and the sleeve 26 are allowed tofreely turn in the shaft when the cord is withdrawn from or wound onthespool. i

It will be noted that the spring barrels 17 and the cups 27 are ofidentical form and construction, capable of being made by the use of thesame set lO'f'dlBS. It will be furthermore observed, from an inspectionof.

Figure 3, that the dogs are confined on their pivot lugs 31 by theenclosing cup 27 at the end of the reel (either end as desired) that itthereby becomes unnecessary to rivet said lugs over the dogs. Thiscontributes to the ease in assembling the parts and also de creases thecost of the assembling operation.

The arrangement shown, wherein the spring barrels are located at theends of the spool and exterior thereto, permit the springs to be made ofample length to pro vide for withdrawal of a long length of cord, andalso enables the spool to take the form shown in Figures 1 and 3, tothereby increase the cord capacity of the spool.

The rewinding reel herein shown is adapted to receive a conductor cordthrough which electric current, from an external source, is passed to anelectrical device, as a machine, lamp, or the like. When the reel isthus adapted, suitable electrical connections are provided for theconductors 38 of the cord to conductors from an external source. Thecircuit carrying members shown are made as follows:

40, 40 designate contact plates which lie outside of the cups 27 and areinsulated therefrom the discs 41. Said contact plates and insulateddiscs, as well also as the ends of the cups, are axially apertured forthe passage of the shaft 14. The discs 41 referred to, and attached tothe cups by the lugs .28, serve to insulate the contact plates 40 fromthe cups 27. Said contact plates are posed insulating members 47 areprovided with registering apertures to receive metallic bushings 48.which are in electrical contact with said conductors and the contactdisc arm 44 carry current from the conductors to the contact plates 40.bushings 48 extend through and are riveted over the inner faces ofinsulating members 49 that are. inset in recesses on the inner faces ofthe cord limiting flanges 12, as shown in Figure 6, .the openings insaid flanges being of a diameter to space the flanges from. saidbushings. The sheathed portions of the conductors 38 are turned directlyoutwardly through other bushings which extend through other registeringopenings in the insulating member 47 and 49 and the cord limiting disc12 so as to prevent objectional pulling stresses being brought on theconnections of the conductors and terminal bushings 48 when the. cord iswholly unreeled fromthe spool.

The external circuit may be closed to the discs 40 through stationarywipers 51 that bear on the outer faces of said discs and are.

posts 52, as shown The said terminal I 11 is resisted by both springs13, 13, one of which is attached to the fixed shaft lel and the other tothe sleeve 26. Therefore, the rewinding springs act in series and exerta rewinding tension on the cord which is substantially uniformthroughout th ranges of said cord.

I .claim as my invention:

1. A rewinding reel comprising a spool, spring barrels outwardly beyondthe ends thereof, a fixed shaft extending through said barrels and saidspool, and rewinding springs in said barrels connected to the shaft andone of the barrels and to each other to operate in series to effect asubstantially uniform rewinding tension on a cord wound on the reel.

2. A rewinding reel comprising a spool, spring barrels outwardly beyondthe ends thereof, a non-rotative shaft extending axially through thespool and said barrels, rewinding springs in the barrels, and a sleeverotative on said shaft, one of said springs being connected at one endto said shaft and at its other end to one end of said sleeve, and theother spring being attached at one end to one of the barrels and at itsother end to said sleeve.

3. A rewinding reel comprising a spool, spring barrels at the endsthere-of, a nonrotative shaft extending axially through said spool andspring barrels, rewinding springs within said barrels, a springretaining member at the inner side of one of said barrels and providedwith a cylindric flange fitted to the latter barrel, a sleeve rotativeon said shaft and attached at one end tosaid spring retaining member andextending at the other end into the other barrel, one of the springsbeing connected to said flange and to said shaft, and the other springbeing connected to its associated spring barrel and to said sleeve.

4. A rewinding reel comprising a spool, spring barrels at the endsthereof, a nonrotative shaft extending axially through the spool andsaid barrels, a sleeve rotative on said shaft, rewinding springs in thebarrels, one of said springs being connected at one end to said shaftand at its other to one end of said sleeve, and the other spring beingattached at one end to one of the barrels and at its other end to saidsleeve, a notched collar attached to said shaft, and gravity dogs hingedto one of said barrels for cooperation with said notched collar.

5. In a rewinding reel structure, a spool, a spring barrels fixedthereto, a rewinding spring in said barrel, a non-rotative shaftextending through said spool and barrel, a sleeve rotatable on saidshaft to which the inner end of said spring is attached, the outer endof the spring being attached to said barrel, a notched collarnon-rotatively fixed to said shaft exterior to said barrel,

gravity dogs pivoted to the end of the bar rel and cooperating with saidcollar, and a cup member fitted over the barrel end for retaining saiddogs on their pivots.

6. A rewinding reel comprising a spool, spring barrels at .the endsthereof, a nonrotative shaft extending axially through the spool andsaid barrels, rewinding springs in said barrels, a sleeve rotative onsaid shaft, one of said springs being connected to said shaft and to oneend of said sleeve, and the other spring being attached to one of thebarrels to said sleeve one of the s arin barrels bein rovided with interal L) C D lugs, gravity dogs pivoted to said lugs, a notched collarnonmotatively fixed to the shaft adjacent said dogs, and a cup fitted tothe latter spring barrel to retain said dogs on their pivots.

7. A rewinding reel structure comprising a spool having end lugs, springbarrels at the ends thereof provided with radial flanges constitutingcord retaining flanges and apertured to receive said lugs whereby thespring barrels are attached to the spool, and rewinding springs in saidbarrels.

8. A rewinding reel comprising a spool having an exterior,longitudinally concave cord receiving space, a spring barrel at the endof the spool provided with a radial flange, interlocking connectionsbetween said spool and said flange, and a rewinding spring in saidbarrel.

9. A rewinding reel structure comprising a multi-part spool having endlugs, spring barrels at the ends thereof provided with radial flangesconstituting cord retaining flanges and apertured to receive said lugswhereby the spring barrels are attached to the spool and the spool partsare fixed to each other, and rewinding springs in said barrels.

10. A rewinding reel structure comprising a multi-part spool having endlugs, spring barrels at the ends thereof provided with radial flangesconstituting cord retaining flanges and apertured to receive said lugs,whereby the spring barrels are attached to the spool, and the spoolparts are fixed tooperate in series to effect a substantially uniformrewinding tension on a cord wound on the reel, said spool being made ofa plurality of identical parts provided at their ends with attachinglugs, and the barrels being provided with radial lugs constituting cordretaining flanges for the spool,

and provided With apertures to receive the retaining lugs of the spool.

12. A rewinding reel comprising a spool, spring barrels outwardly beyondthe ends thereof to contain rewinding springs, said barrels havingflanges to constitute cord limiting flanges, and the spool having end-Wise extending lugs to pierce said flanges and bent thereover to holdthe spool and flanges together as a unitary structure.

13. A rewinding reel comprising a spool, spring barrels outwardly beyondthe ends thereof to contain rewinding springs, said barrels havingflanges Which constitute cord limiting flanges of the spool, the spoolends being interlocked to the said flanges adjacent to the peripheriesof the latter, and the spool being longitudinally concave between theflanges to increase the depth of the cord rece ving space.

In testimony whereof I claim the foregoing as my invention, I hereuntoappend my signature at Chicago, Illinois, this 12th day of August, 1919.

ERNST G. K. ANDERSON.

